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BARNES/DIEGNAN BILL PRESERVING DISMAL SWAMP IN EDISON CEREMONIALLY SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

(EDISON) - Assemblymen Peter J. Barnes III and Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. today issued a multimedia package on legislation they sponsored to help preserve Dismal Swamp in northern Middlesex County.

The measure was ceremonially signed Thursday by Governor Jon S. Corzine during a public event at the Triple C Ranch, part of the Dismal Swamp Conservation Area.

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SCHAER & SCALERA ON ENACTMENT OF BILL TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS AGAINST ANOTHER ENCAP

New Law Enhances Protections, Oversight in Public/Private Redevelopment Projects

(NORTH ARLINGTON) - Assemblymen Gary S. Schaer and Fred Scalera today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to enhance the protections and oversight surrounding public investments in private redevelopment projects.

Schaer and Scalera (both D-Bergen/Essex/Passaic) sponsored the new law (A-2650) following the collapse of the EnCap Mixed-Use Redevelopment Project, which squandered more than $300 million in public money from the state and Bergen County in an attempt to transform abandoned municipal landfills in the Meadowlands into golf courses and luxury housing.

The measure was signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony Monday in North Arlington, one of three Bergen County municipalities most seriously affected by the EnCap collapse and the first town to call for an investigation into the now-defunct project.

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DeANGELO ON BILL TO CREATE A 'SILVER ALERT' SYSTEM TO AID MISSING SUFFERING FROM MENTAL DISORDERS

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo today issued a multimedia package on his legislation to create a "Silver Alert" system in New Jersey to notify the public about missing persons who are believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairments.

The legislation (A-2844) is based on the state's successful "Amber Alert" system, used by state police to locate missing or abducted children.  The system would be a voluntary, cooperative effort between state and local law enforcement agencies and the broadcast media.  Upon notification by the state police, broadcast media would transmit an emergency alert to inform the public of the disappearance of an elderly person or a younger person suffering from a cognitive impairment, like autism.

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SPEAKER ROBERTS ANNOUNCES HE WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued a multimedia package on Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr.'s announcement that he won't be seeking re-election.

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ASSEMBLY DEMS ON NEW LAW COMBATING HOSPITAL MEDICAL ERRORS

(PLAINSBORO) - Assembly members Paul D. Moriarty, Linda R. Greenstein and Herb Conaway, M.D. today issued a multimedia package on a new law they sponsored to help prevent hospital medical errors.

The law (A-1264/3371/3633) was signed by Gov. Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony at AARP New Jersey headquarters. It requires the state Department of Health and Senior Services to include hospital-specific data on 14 patient safety indicators in the agency's annual Hospital Performance Report that is available to the public.  The law also prohibits hospitals and doctors from billing a patient or insurance company for specific types of medical errors and hospital-acquired conditions.

The sponsors said the law enables the public to make more informed decisions about their health care options while encouraging poorly performing hospitals to improve patient safety.

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GREENSTEIN & DeANGELO DISCUSS NEW HOSPITAL'S USE OF 'GREEN DESIGN'

Site of New Hospital Adhering to LEED Standards for Sustainability in Construction, Design

(PLAINSBORO) - Assembly members Linda R. Greenstein and Wayne P. DeAngelo (both D-Mercer/Middlesex) today issued a multimedia package highlighting their tour of a hospital construction site utilizing the latest in "green design" standards.

The pair toured the construction site of the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, which is being built according to the U.S. Green Building Council guidelines for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard.  LEED standards emphasize long-term sustainability and minimal environmental impact.  The hospital site employs nearly 500 construction workers and will create hundreds of new green jobs when it opens in 2011.

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ROBERTS / VOSS / PRIETO ON NEW LAW PROVIDING INSURANCE COVERAGE OF AUTISM, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY TREATMENTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly members Joan M. Voss and Vincent Prieto today issued a multimedia package on a new law they sponsored to make New Jersey the 15th state to mandate health insurers cover treatments for autism and developmental disabilities.

The bill was signed Aug. 13 by Gov. Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.

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ASSEMBLY DEMS COMMENTARY ON ENACTMENT OF BILL LIMITING HANDGUN PURCHASES TO ONE-A-MONTH

(TRENTON) – Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley and Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman today issued a multimedia package on their legislation – signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine – making it illegal to purchase more than one handgun a month in New Jersey.

New Jersey is the fourth state to place such restrictions on handgun purchases, behind Virginia, Maryland, and California.

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LOVE & LAMPITT COMMENTARY ON BILL TO REGULATE CREDIT CARD SOLICITATION ON CAMPUSES

Measure Would Require Credit Card Companies to Register with Colleges; Students to Complete Education Courses before Credit Cards Could be Issued

(TRENTON) - Assemblywomen Sandra Love and Pamela R. Lampitt today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to allow the state Division of Consumer Affairs to regulate how credit card companies solicit card applications on college campuses.

The sponsors said the measure (A-3003) would help protect the credit ratings of students and parents and ensure students understand how to be responsible users of credit.

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STENDER/SCUTARI PROMOTE ADOPTION OF SAFER TECH FOR USE BY GOVERNMENTS AND UTILITIES

(LINDEN) - Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Nicholas P. Scutari (both D-Union) today issued a multimedia package on their legislation (ACR-239) to urge governments, water utilities and chemical companies to use inherently safer technologies in their daily operations.

According to Scutari and Stender, the hazardous materials currently used by these entities represent one of the largest threats to public safety in the state, as hazardous chemicals - like chlorine - often are shipped in vulnerable, conspicuously marked containers and rail cars.